Higgins pinched the top of his nose, as though trying to ward off a headache. “Look, I think I’m gonna have to bring the chief in on this. Arson, attempted murder, the Big Baby case? You shootin’ this guy. If the chief doesn’t hear about it till morning, my ass is gonna be in a sling.”

“Good idea,” I said. I asked for the chief’s name—it was Bertram—and contact info so that I could forward it on to Barry. While I’d been fairly forthcoming with Higgins, I’d not mentioned that Kiln’s cell phone was in my pocket.

Higgins excused himself to call his boss. I sent a message to Barry with the info about the chief. Jeremy wandered over and said, “Madeline’s not gonna be very happy. Have you called her and told her what’s happened to her place?”

I shook my head. “No, and I’m not going to.”

For all I knew right now, Madeline was the one who’d sent this guy, although I still couldn’t fathom why she would do that.

“And if you’ve magically managed to pull another cell phone out of your ass,” I said to Jeremy, “I don’t want you doing it either. We’re on radio silence for a while.”

“On what?”

“We’re not calling or talking to anybody. Don’t call your mother or Bob or your girlfriend Charlene or anyone.”

“Why?”

“Just go along with this, okay?”

Jeremy shrugged. “I guess.”

“No, no guess. Promise me.”

“Fine, I promise. What are we gonna do now? We’ve got no place to stay.”

“I think we’ll be heading home very soon. At least as soon as they’ll let us.”

Two more police cars had arrived, and four officers—two men and two women—got out. Higgins, a cell phone to his ear, waved over one of the women and started a conversation with her. He pointed to Kiln, and the woman nodded several times. As she walked over to where the paramedics were treating our shooter, Higgins resumed his phone conversation.

Then he called me over.

“Chief wants to talk to you,” he said.

I took the phone. “Hello?”

“Weaver?”

“That’s right. Chief Bertram?”

“Yeah. You’re private?”

He sounded very deeply pissed, and I didn’t think it just had to do with the fact that Officer Higgins had woken him up.

“Yes,” I said. “Look, I know you have a lot of questions, but before you begin, I’d like to offer my apologies.”

“Huh?”

“I just brought a shit storm of trouble your way. That wasn’t my intention. I came here with the Pilford boy because I thought he’d be safe here. He’s been the subject of countless death threats. It didn’t work out. I’m sorry.”